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Saturday, November 5, 2011

Land O'Lakes welcomes biggest Swampfest yet

Matthew Perry, of Flint, Mich., gets the Yo-Yo ready for Swampfest. The spinning ride has chairs that dangle by chains.[Photos by STEPHEN J. CODDINGTON Times]

By Robert Napper, Times Correspondent

from: tampabay.com

Friday, November 4, 2011

LAND O'LAKESExcitement is brewing for this weekend's Swampfest, a three-day festival featuring carnival rides, live music and fundraising booths to benefit local groups.In three short years, Swampfest has grown from a startup event to Land O'Lakes' main community festival. The Land O'Lakes High School Athletic Booster Club launched it in 2009, when the Central Pasco Chamber Commerce pulled the plug on its renowned Flapjack Festival after an ill-fated move to the Dade City fairgrounds.

Allan Bello, with Wade Shows, installs lightbulbs on a carousel for the festival that was started by Land O’Lakes High School athletic boosters.Organizers say losing the Flapjack Festival created an opportunity for the booster club to establish its own fundraising event — and provide Central Pasco with a festival it could be proud of."We feel we've filled the void," said Swampfest organizer Mike Connor, the booster club president. "We are Land O'Lakes' community event."The event kicks off today with a youth night headlined by the local band Culprit, which recently won a battle of the bands at a Hillsborough County Fair. The music continues from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, touching on every genre from country to jazz. On Sunday, local dance troupes will show off their moves throughout the day.The event will also have more vendors than ever, many of which are nonprofit organizations and school groups raising money, Connor said.READ MORE:http://www.tampabay.com/news/humaninterest/land-olakes-welcomes-biggest-swampfest-yet/1199946